Many people associate hops with beer; Indeed, this is the most famous component of a drink popular throughout the planet. Therefore, when growing this plant, a logical question often arises: when to collect hops? It belongs to the Hemp family, and today two of its types are known: Japanese and ordinary, which are most widespread due to their demand in the brewing industry.
Hops: a decorative useful friend or a malicious weed?
Hops, the use of which has found its place in many industries (medicine, perfumery, cosmetology, pharmacy, canned food production, bakery), is historically considered to come from the Middle East. This plant was brought to Europe by the Greeks and Romans. IN household In the absence of care, hops run wild and turn into a real aggressor, which is very difficult to remove. Therefore, its dense thickets can often be observed in remote corners of the garden, where human hands simply cannot reach, which causes the constant conquest of new territories by the uncontrolled plant.
Sometimes, in contrast to the question “how to grow hops,” another question arises - “how to get rid of them”?
With proper care, hops can become a decorative seasonal element of arches, fences, and posts. Its hanging green cones, associated with the original ones, look especially impressive. decorative ornaments. When to collect
External characteristics of the plant
Common hops can grow in one place for about 20 years and are characterized by a vine-like twisting stem and a powerful perennial root system that penetrates the soil to a depth of more than 4 meters and is dispersed in a diameter of about 3 meters. The main rhizome of the bush is underground escape, constantly forming buds (the basis for the formation of new shoots), this occurs especially actively in the fourth year of growth. Cultural cultivation hop management consists in regularly destroying numerous sprouts to avoid unwanted growth of the bush. To understand when to collect hops, you should have some understanding of this plant and its characteristics.
Hop stems are branched, covered with hairs, colored green or reddish, and reach about 13 mm in thickness. The plant can reach a length of more than 10 meters and during the growth process clings to support with the help of hook-like spines placed along the edges of the stem, on the side shoots, petioles and leaves.
Hop flowers are collected in small inflorescences (20-60 pieces each), they look like cones and grow on female vines. Male plants cones are not formed, which is why they are often destroyed. The fruits are small nuts Brown. The seeds are also very small: 1000 pieces weigh from 2 to 4 grams. Hop leaves are heart-shaped, in the middle part of the plant they are largest, and at the top and bottom of the bush they are smaller. The upper side is dark green in color, the lower side is lighter and contains glands that secrete essential oils and resins. The above-ground part of the plant lives for one year and dies in late autumn, in contrast to the perennial root system.
Features of cultivation
How to grow and when to harvest hops? Hops are grown in flat areas. For mass harvesting, so-called hop fields with an area of 20-30 hectares are created, divided into separate squares, between which there are 3-4-meter paths.
On each hectare, 145-150 poles (8-9 meters in height) are installed to create trellises. In order to protect from piercing winds, hop plantations are planted near gardens, shelterbelts and forests. The open area planned for such a plant is planted in advance (a couple of years in advance) with 2-3-row protective forest belts made of fast growing trees, placing them from the edges of the plantation at a distance of 20 meters.
Planting: at home and on an industrial scale
Hop planting is carried out on medium-, slightly podzolic, turf and forest lands with good drainage; groundwater should not be close to the soil surface. Planting is carried out by cuttings or annual seedlings hops grown in nurseries. The planting depth, which is recommended in April-May, is 8-10 cm.
At home, planting is done according to the same principle, only on a smaller scale. So, the plant should be provided with well-drained soil, sunny place and a support along which it will crawl. As the latter, you can use a fence or the wall of a house with strings stretched along it. After landing it is recommended abundant watering.
The emergence of seedlings usually occurs 7-10 days after planting. When the plant reaches a height of 50-60 cm, the stem is supported, and the row spacing is loosened by cultivators (on an industrial scale). During the growing season, 4-5 fluffing of the top soil layer and one hilling are usually carried out. The growth of the hop root system is stopped starting from the second year of growth. In early spring the ridges are plowed, the lateral rhizomes and last year’s underground stems are pruned; on highly developed plants they are cut off completely, on insufficiently powerful ones - above the first or second pair of eyes.
Feeding and care
When the plant reaches a height of 3-4 meters, it needs to be fertilized phosphorus-potassium fertilizers at the rate of 30-45 kg per 1 hectare. The yield of cones can be increased by pinching - shortening excess side branches at a distance of 3 cm from the main stem.
At the same time, damaged or dead plants are uprooted and new specimens are planted in their place. On average per 1 hectare (with industrial cultivation) accounts for 14-16 thousand bushes. After pruning, fertilizing and herbicides are applied to kill weeds.
Hops propagation and transplantation
Replanting and planting hops, top part which dies before the onset of winter, can be produced in spring or late autumn. To do this, you need to dig up the plant, select the healthiest roots and plant them in pre-prepared grooves at a distance of 1 meter from each other. When planning spring planting It is recommended to place the roots in a bag along with a small amount earth and sawdust and store in the refrigerator.
Hops can be propagated by green cuttings, which are taken from three-year-old and older than plants. Hop seeds for propagation are mostly used by breeders to develop new varieties.
When to Harvest Hops?
The ripening of hop cones often occurs unevenly; harvesting can be done from late August to early September. When to collect hop cones? To do this, you must correctly determine their ripeness, signs of which are the presence of a yellow powder similar to pollen, a specific aroma, good density, yellow-green color, brown bract; the scales should be in the straightening stage. It is during this period that the cones contain maximum amount essential oil, alpha acids, polyphenols. In hop farms, harvesting ends in late September; Delay in harvesting leads to a decrease in its quality due to the precipitation of lupulin grains.
Features of drying raw materials
After harvesting, the buds must be dried, otherwise the raw material will quickly deteriorate and will not be suitable for brewing. Home brewers often use fruit and mushroom dehydrators or a conventional oven for this purpose. In large production, hops, containing about 80% water, are ventilated with heated air immediately after harvesting, then dried in specialized ovens. Drying should be stopped when the stem of the pine cone becomes brittle.
The dried material should have a yellow-green color and be practically weightless, with scales resembling In this state, the cones should be crushed and placed in plastic bag and place them in the freezer where they will wait their turn. On an industrial scale, raw materials are stored in plastic or jute bags at hop collection points or hop factories, where they are finally brought to standard marketable conditions.
After collecting hop cones, in the fall, the dried stems of the plant are cut off and removed from the area for burning. Hop fields are thoroughly cleaned of vegetation residues, organic matter (manure or compost) and potassium-phosphorus preparations are added.
Common hop varieties
Hops Brewer
The variety is a tall, massive plant with a delicate aroma. The cones are elongated-cylindrical, medium-sized, quite dense; There are few of them on the bush. Hops, which are widely used in the beer industry and in the preparation of hop-containing preparations, are characterized by high resistance to disease, freezing, soaking, and drought. The growing season is 115 days.
Hops Triumph
It grows in one place for 15 years or more and is resistant to soaking, drought and frost. May be affected spider mite. Characterized by a delicate aroma, it is used in brewing and processing aimed at producing concentrated granules.
Hop- one of the most versatile plants. It is used to make a world-famous alcoholic drink and is actively used in medicine, cosmetology and cooking. But this is not the whole range of its applications, because hops are also an ornamental garden plant, very cute and unpretentious. This vine is capable of creating excellent hedge in one season, while growing well in partial shade and resistant to all kinds of natural surprises.
Methods of propagation of hops There are several: hops are propagated by root shoots, cuttings and seeds. The simplest of them is shoots, which appear in abundance in the spring. If you can’t get it or a hop cutting, then you should try to grow the treasured vine from seeds. It is worth noting that one of the types of hops, Japanese hops, is annual plant and growing it from seeds is the most the best way reproduction.
Hop seedlings are planted around April. For planting choose fertile soil, purchasing it at a garden center or mixing a share of garden soil with in equal shares leaf and humus substrate. The seeds are planted 0.5 cm deep into the ground. It is advisable to create for seedlings greenhouse conditions, covering containers with planted seeds with film or glass. The temperature favorable for seed germination is 20 – 23 °C.
The crops are watered and wait for the sprouts to appear, which begin to appear a week after planting. From this period, the cover from the containers is removed for a couple of hours a day, and when the first true leaf appears on the seedlings, it is finally removed. During the entire period of development, seedlings must be kept in a well-lit place, avoiding direct sunlight.
When the seedlings reach a height of 4 - 5 cm, they need to be pricked, that is, planted in separate containers. Carefully, together with a lump of earth, the plants are transplanted into individual pots, in which they will grow until planted on permanent place. Very convenient to use for planting peat pots, in which plants are planted in open priming. Their undeniable advantage is that during subsequent transplantation the seedlings are not injured. root system, and plants quickly adapt to new conditions.
Growing hops from seeds
Like most garden plants, hop seedlings are planted in open ground only after stable warm weather has established. In the future, hops will withstand frosty winters, but young plants should be protected from subzero temperature. The area for growing hops can be either sunny or semi-shaded. He prefers fertile soil, so it is advisable to add it to the soil before planting. organic fertilizers: manure or compost.Planted seedlings must be watered regularly. Hops – moisture-loving plant, and with a lack of moisture it will not look so impressive. In the first half of summer, this vine grows very quickly, and when the shoots reach a height of about half a meter, they need to be provided with support.
To achieve the greatest decorative effect of hops, it is necessary to use fertilizers. Fertilizing is carried out mainly in the first half of summer, when the plant develops most actively. Hops are very responsive to foliar feeding, and therefore it is recommended to regularly spray the leaves with a solution of zinc sulfate (0.02%) and a solution boric acid(0.05%). It is also recommended to fertilize with complex fertilizers twice a month. mineral fertilizers.
How to grow hops from seeds in the country
When autumn frosts occur in the first year, it is recommended to cover perennial hops with leaves or spruce branches for protection from frost. Adult plants are quite frost-resistant and do not need such protection. With the onset of frost, the above-ground part of the plant dies, and with the onset of spring, many young shoots begin to grow rapidly from the ground.It is worth noting that in regions where there is more warm climate, it is practiced to plant seeds directly in open ground. This procedure carried out in May in the same way as when planting seedlings. The soil should be fine and as homogeneous as possible. It is recommended to add a little humus to it to increase nutritional value and sand so that the substrate allows moisture to pass through well.
The crops are also covered at first to protect them from temperature changes. When the seedlings grow a little, they need to be thinned out, leaving only strong and healthy seedlings. Further transplantation should be carried out in such a way that the distance between plants is about half a meter.
As the season begins, more and more gardeners are asking the question: how to grow hops on personal plot? The reason lies in the fact that growing this plant does not require special knowledge from them. The plant is unpretentious in cultivation, and caring for it does not require strict adherence to certain conditions.
Plant characteristics
Hops are a prominent representative of the Hemp family. There are 3 types of it:
- cordate;
- ordinary;
- Japanese.
This plant has annual and perennial varieties, some of which can grow in one place for up to 20 years. It has a twisted green or light red stem covered with small hairs. Its thickness reaches 15 mm, and its length reaches 10-12 m. It has a powerful root system, the bulk of the roots are located in top layer soil.
Flowers are collected in inflorescences of 30-50 pieces and are formed only on female plants. Hop fruits are small brown nuts that ripen from mid-July to September. The seeds are also small and light: 1000 seeds weigh only 3-4 g. The leaves are heart-shaped, and in the middle part of the stem they are much larger. Their upper side is dark green, while the reverse side is much lighter and has glands.
Used in the pharmaceutical, perfumery, cosmetics, baking industries and medicine. It is used for decorating fences, arches, buildings, and creating hedges in the country. The most popular common appearance hops, since its planting, care and cultivation do not require special rules, it is more attractive in appearance and has a lot of useful properties.
How can you grow it?
There are several ways to grow crops on a personal plot:
- seeds;
- shoots;
- cuttings.
Gardeners' opinions on how to plant hops boil down to the fact that the easiest way is to use young shoots that appear in large quantities in the spring. If cuttings or shoots are difficult to obtain, then seeds can be used to obtain a plant.
At the beginning of April you can start growing seedlings.
- Prepare the soil. You can buy it or prepare it yourself: you need to mix regular soil, humus and leaf substrate in equal proportions.
- Pour soil into a container and plant seeds 0.5-0.7 cm deep.
- Cover everything with glass (film) and place it in a lighted place, but not in direct sunlight.
- Crops require periodic watering.
- When the first sprouts sprout, you can remove the film (glass) for 2-3 hours.
- When leaves appear, the film is completely removed.
- When the height of the seedlings reaches 5 cm, they need to be planted in separate containers.
Growing seedlings is not a mandatory requirement for hop cultivation. Seeds can be sown immediately in soil prepared in the fall.
Landing rules
First, a place is selected on a personal plot or dacha. Hops are light-loving plants, so the planting site should be at sunny side. The plant feels comfortable on turfy, light or medium podzolic soil with good drainage. In this case, groundwater should not be near the surface.
Hops roots develop rapidly, grow strongly and can harm nearby plants. Therefore, it is planted in a separate area.
To prevent the roots from growing and interfering with neighboring crops, limiters are used - slate or metal sheet buried to a depth of 0.5 m.
Hops develop poorly in wind-blown areas. It is better to choose a place where exposure to gusts of wind will be minimal.
Planting hops in open ground is done in mid-spring, that is, when the severe night frosts end. The plant goes deep into small holes (up to 30-50 cm deep), located at a distance of half a meter from each other. Seedlings are planted in holes to a depth of 10 cm, sprinkled with soil, compacted and watered abundantly.
Many gardeners, in order to avoid the death of plant roots from night frosts, advise additionally covering the holes from above with hay.
Before planting, a support is installed for the plant to support it. further growth. For these purposes, a fence or the wall of a house with string stretched over them are suitable. The hops are decorative, and their vines stretch up to 10 m, so the support can be placed in any direction (horizontally, diagonally).
Basic rules of care
Caring for hops includes timely removal of shoots, watering, fertilizing, and pest control.
Removing shoots, pinching
An important stage of care is the removal of shoots. When the sprouts grow to 15-20 cm, they are pruned. Up to 5 strong shoots are left on each bush. When they reach 50 cm, they are placed on a support. Usually 3 stems are planted on one support.
Excess shoots should be removed as the crop grows. Do not forget that hops, as they grow, oppress neighboring plants. To prevent the garden plot from turning into impassable thickets, the growth of hops should be constantly monitored.
Caring for the plant involves pinching - shortening the side shoots. This operation increases the yield of cones.
Watering
Caring for the crop involves frequent watering, because the plant is moisture-loving. But it is important to ensure that water does not stagnate in the holes. Waterlogging negatively affects the condition of the roots. If the plant grows in a dry climate, it is better to install an automatic watering system. Moderate constant soil moisture promotes the growth of green mass, which provides decorative hops.
To avoid the appearance of powdery mildew on the leaves, they should not be wetted when watering.
Pest and disease control
Care includes timely pest control. They rarely attack hop plantings, but sometimes the following insects can be found:
- spider mite;
- wireworm;
- weevil;
A set of measures to exterminate pests includes spraying plants with appropriate preparations (solutions of Kuprozan, polycarbacin), destroying dead stems in the fall, and digging up the soil between plantings. When spraying, it must be taken into account that most of the insects accumulate on the lower (back) side of the leaf.
Effective and in simple ways to destroy pests are infusions of tobacco and wormwood, a weak soap solution.
If brown or yellow spots, and their lower side is covered with a white-gray coating, then the hops are infected powdery mildew. This is the most common cultural disease. Damaged foliage breaks off and ground part sprayed with a fungicide solution.
Further care of the plant includes weed control, loosening the soil, and hilling the bushes.
Caring for the plant during the dormant period
In the fall, after the foliage has withered, all dried shoots of perennial hops are cut off. After trimming them, fertilizers are applied, and the queen is covered with a layer of earth on top (at least 30-40 cm). Hop rhizomes easily endure winter, and with the onset of spring they resume growth.
If the crop is annual, like Japanese hops, it is completely dug up and disposed of.
What to feed?
Fertilizers used for feeding:
- organic (manure);
- nitrogen;
- phosphorus;
- potassium
Manure is applied 10-15 cm deep. It should be added in the fall so that it decomposes over the winter.
Among nitrogenous fertilizers, it is recommended to use urea, ammonium sulfate and ammonium nitrate. Urea is applied before planting hops at the rate of 20 g of fertilizer per 1 m2. Ammonium nitrate– 15 g per 1 m 2 of soil. If you fertilize with ammonium sulfate, then its single dose should not exceed 30-35 g.
Potassium fertilizers include potassium salt, potassium sulfate, and potassium chloride. 25-35 g of these fertilizers are added per 1 m 2 of soil. Phosphorus and potash fertilizers are applied when the plant reaches 4-5 m in height or after flowering has completed.
A deficiency of these fertilizers will slow down the growth of the plant and the ripening of its buds. But you shouldn’t overdo it with fertilizing: the increased content of microelements reduces the disease resistance of the crop.
So, in order for hops to please the eye for more than one year, and for its healing capabilities to maintain health and give strength, it is necessary to adhere to simple tips on growing and caring for it.
Instructions
Hops compare favorably with others climbing plants his rapid growth. Already in the second half of June he is able to decorate land plot. It is advisable to plant hops near a fence, gazebo, veranda and other outbuildings. This plant performs not only a decorative function. Young shoots and hop cones can be used for cooking medicinal decoctions and tinctures.
When choosing a place to plant hops, it is important to take into account the fact that when it grows, it can destroy neighboring plants. To prevent the plant from heavily shading the house, it is better to plant it 1.5 m from the window, periodically trimming the grown shoots. Caring for hops involves abundant watering and fertilizing with complex mineral fertilizers. When the plant reaches 0.5 m, it needs support and garter.
When forming a hop crown, it should be taken into account that the plant grows better in a vertical direction. By the end of summer it begins to lose its aesthetics. Lower leaves turn yellow and gradually fall off. To solve the problem with bare stem bases, you can plant other plants next to the hops that remain green until autumn (astilbe, peony, fern, etc.).
It can also be propagated by cuttings, but more in a convenient way is with the help of rhizomes. This should be done in the autumn or spring time. Since hop rhizomes are fibrous, the easiest way to separate them is with pruning shears. The plants are covered with thorns, so you should wear long sleeves and gloves when working with them.
When growing hops, problems can arise in dry and hot weather. This ideal conditions for the appearance of aphids. To avoid the invasion of these insects, the plant should be treated with insecticides at the beginning of summer. If aphids do appear, you need to resort to spraying the hops with stronger preparations. When processing, keep in mind that insects accumulate on the lower part of the leaves.
Flaw nutrients may affect appearance plants. With a deficiency of phosphorus, the leaves become bronze; with a lack of potassium, they become convex. Pale and small leaves characteristic of plants with nitrogen deficiency.
In general, hops are unpretentious. In a fairly short period of time, he can capture a huge piece of land. By using of this plant you can decorate unsightly areas of your dacha, make a hedge, or simply fence your house beautifully. Within just a few days after planting the rhizomes and watering them, hops gradually begin to grow on any soil, without requiring any specific actions.
Hops are a perennial climbing vine. Perhaps you have come across tall pillars in villages or dachas, completely entwined with green leaves and fruits in the form of soft cones - this is hops. Many people grow it to produce such a popular drink as beer. But hops are not limited to this - they are also used in medicine and cosmetology, and summer residents and gardeners love them for their decorative properties. It looks great on hedges, fences, gazebos, arches and pergolas.
When choosing a place to plant hops, remember that this is a very light-loving plant. He should be in the open sun 6-8 hours a day. Besides, hops are not too kind acidic soils, so if the soil in your area is acidic, lime the area before planting. Hop roots grow very quickly, so the planting site should be isolated and the roots trimmed every year. For the same reason, do not plant hops close to other plants. Hops are propagated by rhizomes - you can buy them in a store, order them online, or just ask your neighbors. There is never a shortage of hop rhizomes if this plant is present on the site. Best time
In the first year of life, it is advisable to cover the hops for the winter - older plants can overwinter without shelter. To do this, carefully remove the hops from the support, rolling them into rings, lay them on the ground and cover them with leaves and spruce branches. With the onset of frost, the upper part of the plant will die, and with the onset of spring, young shoots will actively grow. Hops are perhaps the most the best choice for quick landscaping country houses
